Fall Harvest CSA Share

by Alice Callahan on October 29, 2011

We were members of the Tucson CSA for several years. It was great. We loved getting fresh, local, sustainably-raised veggies. Still, I often complained that I didn’t know what to do with all of the greens, and when work and life got hectic, I admit that sometimes things would get mushy in the veggie drawer and they would get sacrificed to the compost before I figured out what to do with them.

When we moved to Eugene, we decided we’d try shopping at the Farmer’s Market for the summer. Eugene has an incredible market, one of the best I’ve ever seen (and I’ve lived in Davis, CA, and Ithaca, NY, so I know a good market when I see one). But unfortunately, we only made it to the farmer’s market a handful of times. I don’t have a really good excuse, but going required loading up the baby in the car during the short window between naps, finding parking, and navigating a stroller through the masses of market goers. And the market was also really overwhelming. I never knew where to start.

So, for the fall season, we joined the Winter Green Farm CSA. Our first veggie pickup was yesterday, and it is amazing.

I think I actually like not getting to choose our vegetables. I like being forced to eat what’s in season and try new things. I like having an ingredient to inspire me to try a new dish. I’m positive that we’ll be eating lots more veggies now that we are CSA members again. And I think the CSA is really cost-effective, too, when you look at just how much stuff we got. (This share comes to about $30/week.) But being a CSA member comes with a lot of responsibility. I really have to be on top of meal planning, shopping ahead for ingredients, and trying some new recipes.

I know I have some foodies reading this blog. Any suggestions about what to do with all those greens? This week’s box had collards, pac choi, napa cabbage, cauliflower, romanesco, lettuce, fennel, radishes, carrots, delicata squash, and bell peppers (lots of them – I think I’ll freeze some of these to use later since I think this was the last harvest before the frost).

What are your favorite fall harvest recipes?

I let BabyC check out the veggies. She claimed a red pepper right away. She carried that thing around all evening while I made dinner!

Yes! I made a stir fry tonight with the pac choi, cauliflower, and red peppers. I love how greens cook down and become totally manageable, yet you know each bite packs a nutritious punch! And thank you for linking to your site. Now I know that you have PhD in neonatal nutrition and I feel silly for calculating iron absorption for you! Thanks for being graceful about that:) Glad to have found your blog.

Roasted red pepper soup (with toasted corn) is pretty hard to beat (and is also freezable!). I’m sure there is a recipe online somewhere… Actually soups in general worked well with my kids when they were quite little – a kid-friendly meal the whole family can enjoy!

Sounds delicious, but unfortunately my baby won’t eat with a spoon! She is an exclusive finger food eater. Husband and I love soups though, and I will definitely try the roasted red pepper soup. I’ll just hold some peppers for BabyC.

I like the idea of not picking out your veggies either. I always tend to gravitate to the same ones, even at the farmers’ market. If I were forced to try new ones, because they are already in the bag, and I already bought them AND they’re in season, that would really change my thinking. We’re growing most of our own food at the present since we’ve been fortunate enough to land in the deep south, but we won’t be here forever. I’ll have my eyes peeled for a CSA at our next station. Your grab bag looked MARVELOUS!

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Welcome! I'm the author of The Science of Mom: A Research-Based Guide to Your Baby's First Year, published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2015. I write about science, health, parenting, and nutrition here and for other print and online outlets.
Find more about me at my website: https://alicecallahanphd.com/

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